Is Jesus The Author And Finisher Of Your (our) Faith?

A common understanding of Hebrews 12:1-4 is that Jesus is the Author (originator, pioneer, founder) and Finisher (perfecter, completer of our faith) of our faith.

In the Greek manuscript, the word “your” or “our” is not included.

The original Greek manuscript reads this way:

1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us [unbelief], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us [belief in Jesus in the face of persecution],

2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart [as you face persecution].

4You have not yet resisted [persecution] to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin [the sinful opposition of their persecutors];

Notice the word your (our) is not in this translation – New American Standard Version – 1995.

When we study the Bible, we always must examine:

- the biblical and historical context

- the original Greek manuscripts

Both of these are typically ignored when someone quotes a verse, as with Hebrews 12:2.

The historical context is the persecution of Jewish believers in AD 65 (Hebrews 10:32-12:11).

These believers believed in Jesus as the Christ and his work on the cross.

They believed in his resurrection and return.

They were facing persecution for their beliefs, possibly even death.

The writer is seeking to encourage them to persevere by faith through the persecution.

He does this in two ways:

Way #1: Look to those in the Jewish Scriptures who lived and died by faith (Hebrews 11-12:1).

The multitude (cloud – Greek word is “multitude, not cloud) of those in the Jewish Scriptures lived and died by faith as they awaited the city to come – the city designed and built by God (Hebrews 11:10, 16, see also 13:14).

Way #2: Look to Jesus who lived and died by faith, and was then resurrected (Hebrews 12:2-3).

Jesus was persecuted during his life on earth.

Jesus was executed on the cross by those who rejected him.

It took faith for Jesus to endure the persecution and the execution.

His faith was in the joy set before him.

What was this joy?

His joy was what the cross accomplished for us – forgiveness and righteousness.

His joy was knowing he would rise from the grave to defeat death and give us eternal life.

The writer of Hebrews is telling his Jewish readers in AD 65 who are facing persecution and death to look to the faith of Jesus as the model of faith one would need to withstand the persecution and possibly even execution for believing in Jesus.

Jesus pioneered the faith that perseveres in persecution.

The writer began writing about faith in the face of persecution in Hebrews 10:35-39.

He provides two examples of faith – those in the Jewish Scriptures (Hebrews 11) and the faith of Jesus.

The Jewish believers could look at the faith of those in Hebrews 11 and the faith of Jesus to be strengthened in their own faith to withstand the persecution to surely come upon them.

By standing in faith, they would not shrink back from the persecution.

Many will misquote and miss-teach Hebrews 12:2 to say that Jesus gives us our faith or your faith, telling people it is not their faith but Jesus’ faith.

That is taking the verse out of context and is ignoring the original Greek manuscripts.

Some will also use Galatians 2:19-20 and Romans 3:21-24 to say that it is not our faith that saves but Jesus’ faith that saves.

Again, this ignores the context and the Greek manuscripts.

In Parts One and Two of Are We Saved By The Faith Of Jesus?, I write about Paul’s use of the word faith in Galatians 2:19-20 and Romans 3:21-24

Click Here To Read: Are We Saved By The Faith Of Jesus?